Mary took off shortly after 4 p.m. for a dinner out near Huntington. Dinner was for 6 p.m. but she was driving eastbound with the rush out of NYC. Wendy from Massachusetts is in town and a dinner was set up by cousin Maureen who was the matron of honor at my wedding 43 years ago and who I knew more than 50 years ago in high school. Several other female "cruise girls" will be in attendance.

Well, sorry to say these women all have money and do cruises together at great expense once or twice a year. I once spent 26 days puttering across the Pacific aboard a Navy attack transport during an insane war with 1,700 other Marines and it didn't cost me a dime. My cruising days are over.

The women are great friends but I'll give the bride great credit - she loves a good snort of Irish & water on the rocks but won't have a drop of alcohol no matter where she is while driving. She's close to her family and feels obligated to attend "things" that are called by family members.

Me? I attend to the cats since everybody I loved in my family is dead.

"Life of Riley" anyone?